Kanji Himura
by RedneckOtaku
Summary: A daughter risks it all for the love of her father - will she find him in time? Will she ever adjust to the Kamiya Dojo? What will Kaoru do now? Please R&R *UPDATED*
1. PROLOG

_I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters. Rurouni Kenshin is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the manga and anime rights belonging to Jump Comics, Sony Entertainment, ADVision, and Mediablasters. With that being said, unless otherwise stated, all items in this fan fiction are of my own imagination in combination with too many hours watching, studying or reading Rurouni Kenshin, and were generated strictly for your reading purposes._

Please R&R.

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PROLOG 

You all know the story of the wandering Battousai, Kenshin Himura am I correct? The young samurai who was given the name _manslayer_ for that is what he did? Well, now that we are all on the same page, I will begin to tell you about my journey to find my father. WHAT?!?! You did not know Kenshin had a daughter? Well you must know how Kenshin married the young maiden Tomoe and shortly there after she died tragically. Well what legend tends to leave out was that in that short marriage, I was created from Tomoe and Kenshin's love. I was only but six month old when my mother died. My father dealt with his sorrow by burning our house with her inside. He then proceeded to abandon me on the snowy steps of the temple in the nearest town where I was found wrapped up in the finest wool blanket, by and elderly woman.

She took me in and nursed me until I was about nine when she got very ill and soon passed away. After that I strip-searched the house for anything that would help me on my journey to find my father or any information about him. After packing a bag full of food, extra clothing, blankets and water, I found a small blank paged book lying in the woman's bedside table. I decided to claim it as my own and keep notes about my journey. If anything should happen to me and this is found, at lest my father will have known my deep desire to find him and try to renter his heart and once again become his pride and joy. Your probably wondering how I remember all of this considering I was very young. Well when a couple tragedies such as the ones I had happen so fast and so close together, you tend to bring those memories with you to the grave no matter your age and health conditions when they happened.

Growing up in a small town such a Nara, I've heard rumors that my father is no longer a killer but a wandering samurai with a reverse blade sword. My heart his lightened with this news and I feel that I will one day find him. My only hope is that he has not forgotten his daughter. The one he used to rock to sleep at night when my mother was too tired. The one he played with while my mother went to the market to do some simple shopping. The one he called _princess_ every night when he kissed my forehead and said "_good-night"_. The one that made a single tear fall from his tearless eye when he turned and started to walk away from the temple steps one snowy December night ten years ago.

I am… Kanji Himura.


	2. Entry One

_Enjoy and please R&R._

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Entry One 

February 24th

While walking through the busy streets of Kyoto, I think I figured out why my father abandoned me. I've come down to three possibilities. Number one, I look just like my mother only with red hair that it would of killed him to raise me. Number two, he did not have the money or the ability to wander and care for a baby at the same time. Or number three; he did not know he was going to stop being a manslayer, so he gave me up for my own safety. All are perfectly good, well… except number one. After a while he would get used to it am I right? Anyways, my facial appearance must have changed over the past ten years. After I sold some of the woman's silver for cash, I bought my self a purple and white kimono. Its kind-of a guy's kimono, I mean it's not a dress. I can't stand wearing anything frilly and girly. I know I'm a girl and all but I just can't stand it.

The top it a light purple and the pants are like extra baggy and are pure white. I got odd looks from passers by as I walked through town. I heard a couple men at the bakery where I stopped this morning for some fresh bread talking and staring at me. This is what I caught of there conversation…

_Old man: "Isn't that the Battousai?"_

_Younger man: "No it can't be. No scar."_

_Old: "But look at the kimono and the long red hair!"_

_Young: "Yeah, well if it is the Battousai, where's the sword? Maybe it's just a wannabe."_

_Old: "Maybe, but those violet eyes, and the long red hair pulled up on top of his head, go ask him."_

_Young: "What are you nuts? What if it is him and we just don't see the sword. Maybe the sword's hidden by that bag he's carrying and his scar healed?"_

_Me: * walking out the door and stopping to answer the men* "Sorry to disappoint you guys, but I'm no Battousai. See, I have no reverse blade sword and a scar as deep as that, won't heal completely! Have you any news about him? It would really help me?"_

But just as I thought, they say they haven't seen him since the great house fire in the mountainsalmost ten years ago. That's what everybody here in Kyoto has said to me. Not to mention a few _"…don't bother with him he's dangerous…"_ and a couple _"…your only looking for trouble seeking the Battousai…"_ None of them would ever understand. If I told them I was his daughter, who knows what they would do. Put me in an insane hospital thinking I was crazy or soon will go crazy? Laugh in my face? I need to start searching the world – well at lest Japan – for my father. _Oh daddy, where are you? Are you okay? Are you alive? Have you found solitude in another town? Are you looking for me? Do you even remember me? Oh daddy…_

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March 5th

I've been huddled under a tree in the middle of nowhere for the past week. The rain never let up until this morning. I feared writing for the rain might out ruined my book and made the ink run all over the pages. I haven't gotten very far in my journey. I'm soaking wet and I fear catching a cold. The only this I did not buy in Kyoto is some kind of medicine just in case. A cording to my dripping wet road map, I'm somewhere in a town called Osaka. Only about three hundred, thirty-three miles till I reach the center of Tokyo. Once there, I can look up my father and see if the town hall has any news on him. Anything with the slightest hint as to his location would do me

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Later March 5th

I stopped suddenly like, that due to the fact that I just stepped into the main streets of Osaka, and man are they busy. I tried to continue writing but all the shops were mesmerizing, and the streets were crowded and noisy. I asked around and I only got a few positive responses. According to a police officer who got an odd look upon him when I mentioned I was looking for the Battousai, he said the Battousai was headed north-east and past through Nagoya about 5 years ago headed for Tokyo. The man looked strange he did not have an appearance of a police officer. He had long black hair and his bangs were long and straight and hung in front of his face just above his nose. He asked my name and I told him it was Kanji but refused to tell him by last name when he persisted that I do. He kept trying to persuade more information out of me like why I wanted to find the Battousai until a nice young girl by the name of Misao Makimachi came and pulled me away telling the officer I was her cousin who just traveled from Kure. The girl led me to her temporary house and that's where she told me her name. We had a nice long conversation. This is how it went…

Misao: "Your real lucky I found you back there. That man, he's the new officer in town. A bit mysterious if you ask me. He carries a Japanese sword. No other officer does. So what's your name and where are you really from?"

_Me: "My name's Kanji Himura. I'm from Nara. I'm in search for my father. He left me on the steps of a temple when I was just six months old due to my mother dying. I was raised by an elderly woman who passed on about a month ago. Ever since then, I've been determined to find my father and renter his life as his daughter."_

_Misao: "Wow, that's sad. Um…why were you asking that officer back their about the Battousai? Sorry about eavesdropping."_

_Me: "Its okay, you see, the Battousai is my father. I ask around using that name because I know that how everyone knows him. His real name is"_

_Misao & Me: "Kenshin Himura."_

_Misao: "I thought your last name sounded familiar. Kenshin never said he had a daughter or at that a dead wife. Well I guess that is a touchy subject."_

_Me: "You know my father?! Have you seen him? Where is he?"_

_Misao: "Calm down. He's not in Osaka. I met him a while back in the forests of Kyoto. We wandered together for a while before we went our separate ways, me back her to Osaka and him… I think he said something about friends up in Tokyo. I remember a girl and a small boy looking for him just after he left. They were the friends he told me about that lived up in Tokyo. The girl, Kaoru, owns a dojo called Kamiya Dojo and the boy, Yahiko, is one of her students. According to Kaoru, Kenshin was living up in the dojo for five years. He was looking for peace and seamed to find it there. He came to Kyoto to stop some bad people and succeeded. He went back to the dojo to settle down."_

_Me: "I need to go to Tokyo. That was my plan all along. Destiny wants me to find my father. I must go. The faster I find him, the better!"_

_Misao: "Calm down. I was planning to visit him myself. I need a few friends considering I have no family. My bags are packed. I was in the village getting a few more items. We'll head off tomorrow after I get a few more things."_

That was it. We both went to bed. I can't believe it. I'm going to see him again. Of course its going to take me at lest a few months to get to Tokyo, but who cares. It's worth it!


	3. Entry Two

Enjoy and please R&R.

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Entry Two 

March 7th

We've been walking for two days. Misao claims it wont take to long be my feet are already killing me. Se says another thing is I wont be able to write often. I have to move fast and keep my eyes on the path ahead. She says once a week if I'm lucky I can open my book and write, or if there is something important that would be best in the book. We've left Osaka and we're almost to Nagoya. We're not taking any main road due to suspicion on my look. I refused to change it. Misao won't tell me why it's best to change, but she suggested it did. I did not this is my look. I'm not changing my style! Dam it! The skies show signs of rain! Misao says we'll have to head for the village and find somewhere to stay. It that all it does in northern Japan is rain?

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March 19th

In order to pay for our room and meals at this hotel I found, we have to work in the kitchen. At this rate, I'll never see my father before he dies of old age. Because it's Sunday, we get the day off from working. Last night I had the strangest dream. My father never left me and he was raising me in our old house. My mother was dead and we went to go visit her grave. I wanted to become a samurai just like my father, so he was training me just like his master did only not as ruff considering I was his daughter. In the dream he used his reverse blade sword and by the end of the dream gave me the sword. Through out the dream he called me _princess_ and _Kanji-Chan_. Right before the dream ended, my surrounding went dark and all that was left was my father and I facing each other. Then slowly he started to drift away. I trying to run after him, but the closer I got, the further away he became. I woke up sweating and I had tears in my eyes. Misao was watching me from a distance. She said I'm a really brave little girl to be doing all of this at age ten just to see the one man who abandoned me when I was still a baby. I rolled over and did not go back asleep; afraid I would see him again. The only problem is, I never once saw his face. I saw his body, but where his head should have been was like a black spot with an x-shaped scar on the left side where his check should have been. I'm really tired due to lack of sleep. Misao says we will be heading off again soon. But now I'm having second thoughts. Do I really want to see him? After all, he did abandon me when I was a baby.

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March 22nd

We just left the hotel when we were attacked. People claiming to be some strange group took up and threw up into their carriage. We've been in this stinking thing for what seams like days. They let us out often to go to the bathroom but we are heavily guarded. The carriage is dark but luckily one of the things I packed was a small lantern. Misao says this is one thing I want to write about incase I ever decide to tell my dad I can describe everything in detail. All the members of this ground are men. I don't remember the name, not that I would have been able to spell it anyways. I'm only ten! Oh great we stopped. What if I'm not heading north anymore, what if we're heading south. I'll never find my father. Bathroom break! ~.^

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April 7th

I just got my bag back. I guess when we stopped it wasn't a bathroom break. We were at their place somewhere in Yokohama. We passed right through Tokyo I never knew it! I probably could of made some kind of noise or at lest called out my father's name. But, I guess the cloth in my mouth would have prevented me from doing that. Even though my hands weren't tied, the cloth was tied so tightly they had to cut it off when we got to the groups private abandoned temple. Well, wherever Yokohama is, it's near the ocean. I should of stayed in Nara. Whatever these men are planning to do, it involves rope, two heavy rocks, and the appearance of a skilled samurai from Tokyo. I guess if this samurai don't show up, Misao and I are going to become coral on the ocean floor. I would have sold everything I owned, including this here diary to find my father. Even if it means just seeing his face and telling him how much I love him just because he's my father. I have no food or anything of value left in my bag when they returned it. They stripped Misao and me of everything and anything we could have used to escape or buy our way out. I wish 

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April 8th

Misao and I were just told we have three days until this samurai shows up. All these men want to do is fight him and get revenge on their leader's death. According to the youngest of the men, (I convinced him to spill) a guy named Lord Makoto Shishio was their leader and a samurai known as Anonymous Samurai X, defeated Shishio and had him captured by the police who then killed him. It the samurai does not show his face soon, we will drown in the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The man told me that Misao looked familiar to them as a companion of this samurai their after and because I'm with her, I'm also a hostage so I don't go running to the cops. Misao was taken inside the temple where she had to write the ransom note. She's not allowed to return outside where I am. My resting place is in the back of the stupid, stinking carriage. I asked the young man if there was a way I could write a note to my father whom I was looking for and have it delivered anonymously. He asked his leaded and said no because even if they write it for me and leave out all the stuff about my location, my father might start looking for me and that could cause trouble. Below is a draft of what I was going to write…

_Dear Father,_

_You probably don't remember me but I'm your daughter Kanji. Remember Tomoe your past wife? I'm you guy's daughter. You left me on the steps of a temple back in Nara one snowy December night after burning our house down. You've probably tried to forget, I'm sorry. An elderly woman found me and cared for me. That woman passed a few months ago and ever since then I've been looking for you. I still love you and I wish I could have told you face to face. I met your friend Misao who was helping me but she knows someone who killed this group's leader and now we are both hostages. I'm sorry. I really wish I could have seen your face. That's the only thing about you I can't remember. I have mom's picture in the round, golden locket that has my name engraved on the front. Remember? You left it around my neck. But your picture was removed. Maybe this samurai guy we're waiting for will come and spare us. Maybe I will see you. I love you daddy. I wish I did something different to make me be in your arms now instead of in the back of a dark, smelly carriage. Hopefully I'll see you someday._

_Love, Kanji Himura_

I felt that was perfect. But I'm no allowed to send it. The man I was talking to early read it and agreed that if I was allowed to send it, not only will my dad come after me, but also it will make him realize how much I love him. I'm hungry. The man went to go find some left over sushi. I think I just made a new friend, and _bad person_ friend, but a friend.


	4. Entry Three

Enjoy and please R&R.

Entry Three 

April 11th

Misao is tied to a heavy rock and has another cloth tied in her mouth. She keeps looking at me with depressing eyes. Like she knows something that I don't know. Just as three strong men start to carry Misao over to the ocean's edge, I can see three more moving closer to me. No! They just dropped Misao into the water and she sank like a

Apr- I guess I should catch up on what I couldn't write…

(Back to April 11th)

After Misao was dropped into the ocean, she sunk like a rock. (No pun intended) But before I could write that, this book was grabbed from my hands and thrown across the grass and then I was tied to a rock. Just as the same three men who dropped Misao into the ocean, they carried me over to the water's edge. They tied a cloth in my mouth to prevent screaming which I was still able to make a lot of noise anyways; and they tied both my legs together because I was kicking the men as they carried me - and my rock. Just as they were about to put me into the water, the mystery samurai appeared. I felt like I was in some scripted play the way everything worked out so perfectly. I looked into the water but the bubbled that were once floating to the surface from Misao breathing stopped. A single tear fell from my eye, as I tried no to think about Misao's fate on the salty ocean floor tied to her heavy rock of death. All, except two, of the group's men ran to fight the samurai. There was something familiar about him, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. He spoke, _"I have come for Miss Misao and the little girl that I have."_ That voice sounded familiar. I heard lots of people on my journey from Nara to Yokohama, it could have been anyone. He stood in the shadows wearing his pink and white man's kimono (similar to mine only mine is purple & white), his long red hair cast an intimidating shadow on his face so his face was covered completely by darkness. Then he drew his sword… the sword! It was no ordinary sword! A REVERSE BLADE SWORD! The setting sun's light reflected off the sword and shinned onto his face. There on the left cheek was an X-SHAPED SCAR! His eyes were as intimidating as they could possibly be; yet they were a gentle violet color. Could it be? Did I get my wish? Did I finally find my father? After ten years of wondering and almost four months of searching? But I did not have another second to wonder, for the two men who weren't about to fight pushed me into the ocean. I got a quick glance of his face one last time. He was looking over at me and had a look of pain on his face. Did he recognize me? But it was to late. SPLASH! I was sinking faster than a torpedo locked onto a target. I opened my eyes quickly once I hit ground. I saw her. Misao, my new friend was laying lifeless only a few feet away from me and there was nothing I could do. My science teacher was right. Sound travels through water faster then in air. I could see hear the battle, but faintly. A few bodies dropped and the water soon filled up with blood. I couldn't hold my breath any longer. I could feel the water filling up my nose. I made a mistake and took a breath. My lungs immediately filled with water and I started to choke. Whether the battle ended or I was going deaf, I can't recall. The next thing I recall is what seamed like a bright light. Like I was dead and gone to heaven (Again, no pun intended). Misao wasn't next to me; her rock was, but not her. I looked up weakly and as a man with long red hair swimming through the bloody water holding a knife in his mouth. When he got close enough to me, he cut my ropes and dropped the knife as he carried me back up to the surface. He laid me down as two ladies with long black hair came running towards us. The older one came to me while the younger went to him. The lady near me declared me okay. The younger girl was stroking the man's hair like some child. He was coughing, which meant he inhaled some water when he went down to save me. I sat up and did not see Misao anywhere. I saw two other men though. One small boy who was carrying a stick and another who looked older, chewing on a toothpick with his arms crossed in an _I'm amused, can we go now _sort of way. After about five minutes of just sitting there, the two girls and two boys behind me disappeared into the now empty temple. The man stood up and signaled me to follow him. We walked through the woods for a few minutes before anyone talked. He was the first…

_Him: "Kanji am I right?"_

_Me: "…"_

Him: chuckle "I had a feeling you were going to respond that way."

_Me: "…"_

_Him: "Misao wrote the ransom note which got sent to me. Luckily no one read it before she sealed it. It said something about someone I know and probably care dearly about is in danger here along with her…"_

_Me: "A…"_

Him: smile "…But I had no idea that she meant my long lost daughter."

Me: looking up at him with a confused, shocked, dumbfounded look "You mean…you mean my journey has ended?"

_Him: nods_

_Me: "D…daddy?"_

_Him: "Kanji…"_

After that _interesting_ conversation, in jumped into his arms and did not let go. He ended up carrying me back to Tokyo where the others soon met up with us. I was no longer in his arms when they showed up. Of course, I was asleep, and he was just standing by a riverbed in the back of the Kamiya Dojo. He laid be down in his bed inside the house and just stood there. When I awoke, I found my book next to me. Luckily, it was still locked and the key was in my pocket still. My secrets are still secret. I fell back asleep shortly there after finding my book and well next day…(which is actually today)

April 12th

The next day is finally here. My first full day with my father went quite well. I was introduced to everyone. The lady who cared to me shortly after I got out of the water, he name is Megumi. The girl who went to my father is his fiancée, Kaoru. (I have a lot to get used to in that category) The young boy is Yahiko who is training under Kaoru and the other man is known as Sanosuke or Sano or short. I call him Porcupine. He's cool with that. Heck, he calls me Kenshin junior because I look so much like my father. (I still haven't changed my hairstyle or outfit; I use this one everyday, which means I'm at the river washing it every night). Misao is okay, too. She is resting comfortably in her own bed her at the dojo. She swallowed too much ocean water and needs to rest up a bit before heading home. My dad keeps saying he can't thank her enough for bringing me her back to him. He told me why he gave me up. It was a mixture of my guesses number one and two - I looked like my mother and he was a wander that couldn't care for a baby on his own. But he's glad I'm with him now. He never did forget about me, I was in his heart but it was something he couldn't risk doing, bringing me back into his life an all until now since he's settling down. He even secretly asked if it was okay is he married Kaoru, I said yes. What else could I say; I'll give her limits. I get more time with my dad then she does that's all. He laughed which made me smile. I met two three new people today, an old man named Sensei Gensai, and his two granddaughters, Ayame & Suzume. Ayame is about five-years-old and her sister Suzume is about three. Their grandfather is a doctor who works in the town hospital. Kaoru volunteers to baby-sit the girls while he works. I have a feeling somehow that job got pushed over to me. All day today, the girls were hanging around me wanting to play and chat. Dad went to the village, orders of Megumi, to pick up some things for dinner. We're having a private party tonight due to me arriving (Well, and its also mixed with the news of Kaoru and my dad's engagement). Kaoru seams sweet, but I have a feeling that will soon change. I don't mean she will send me to boarding school and treat me like dirt. I mean she will become more of a mother figure and start demanding more from me. According to Porcupine, Kaoru is a tough cookie. She demands a lot from people when they're at her dojo. He says he used to come here just to get free meals, but now has become a member of the so-called _Dojo Family_ (they are all very close friends and live together, except Ayame & Suzume & Sensei). Oh, my dad's back! PARTY TIME!


End file.
